‘I had a double mastectomy after losing my mum and sister but I was left feeling cheated’
WHEN pre-cancer cells were found in her breasts, Bami Adenipekun knew she had to take drastic action, not least because she had already lost both her mother and sister to the same disease.
But an even bigger shock was to await Bami.
“It felt like I had been run over by a car”, said Bami, whose mother died at the age of 46 in 1993, just three years after her sister was diagnosed with the disease in 2011.
Sadly Bami’s sister died in 2017, also at the age of 46.
Bami’s mother was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer in 1990. The family had moved from London to Nigeria at the time, where cultural taboos meant people didn’t talk about breasts or illness.
“There was so much shame, stigma, and silence around it all”, said Bami, who lives in Swansea.
“People didn’t talk about their bodies; they didn’t check for changes. I think this had something to do with my mother’s late diagnosis.
“I was a teenager at the time, and I had so many questions but no-one to answer because of that very stigma.
“Fast-forward to 2011, and my late-sister was also diagnosed with aggressive stage-three breast cancer at the age of 40. She died in 2017, also aged 46.”
Following her mother’s death, Bami had been very careful to get to know her body and to get any changes checked quickly.
She had fibroadenoma – benign growths in her breasts – from her mid-20s, and until 2012, all tests were clear.
In 2012, however, Bami found a lump and tests at the breast clinic at Singleton Hospital in Swansea, showed pre-cancer cells in one of her breasts.
The cells were successfully removed, and her follow-up mammogram was clear.
“During this time, my family GP – who was wonderful – had been trying to persuade me to have a preventative mastectomy to reduce my risk of developing breast cancer.
“But I had great boobs – the sort some people pay plastic surgeons for – and I didn’t want to lose them. So, I refused.
“When those pre-cancer cells were found in 2012, I finally gave in and decided to go ahead with a riskreducing double mastectomy with immediate reconstruction.”
Culturally, Bami’s decision was seen by some as unorthodox and drastic. Others even questioned whether her diagnosis was the result of a lack of faith on her part.
But that didn’t stop her – she had a nine-year-old daughter to think about, and after lots of research, Bami decided this was the best option to avoid developing the disease which she had lost both her mum and sister to.
In January 2014, when she was 37, Bami underwent the 12.5-hour riskreducing surgery.
Returning a few weeks later for her follow-up appointment and results, she was astonished to discover she already had early-stage breast cancer.
“I felt cheated – despite all my efforts. I asked myself, ‘What are you going to do? Are you going to sink or swim?’.
“Sinking wasn’t an option – I had my daughter to think of. From that point I decided I wasn’t going to be a victim – I wouldn’t let this crush me.”
Bami began treatment quickly – she had surgery to remove lymph nodes and to check that the cancer hadn’t spread – it hadn’t, so she made the very personal decision not to have chemotherapy.
She added: “It’s not something I’d ever recommend – it was a very personal choice, and I did a lot of research before I made my decision”.
Instead, Bami began hormone therapy to lower her oestrogen levels and to prevent her cancer from growing, and she was scheduled for surgery to remove her ovaries, to reduce her body’s production of oestrogen.
“I did a lot of reading about the links between oestrogen receptor positive breast cancer and the development of other feminine cancers and decided to have a full hysterectomy instead of just taking my ovaries. It felt like the best way for me to reduce my risk of developing those cancers.
“The hysterectomy forced my body through rapid menopause – it was like a menopause on steroids!”
Now, nine years post-diagnosis, Bami considers herself a ‘cancer victor’ and a ‘D.I.V.A’ – a DivinelyInspired Victorious Achiever – a term she coined for herself as a mark of her victory and her faith. Bami is now nine years cancer-free, but her treatment continues with the drug exemestane, which Cancer Research UK helped to develop.
The drug helps lower the risk of Bami’s cancer returning and she will finish treatment in March 2024 – 10 years post-diagnosis.
“If I had been diagnosed with cancer 10 or 20 years ago, like my sister or my mum, the outcome might not have been the same for me and that’s down to research.
“By donating monthly to Cancer Research UK, people across Wales could help give hope to many more families like mine and save lives for generations to come.
“Research into better treatments has given me the greatest gift – more precious time with my loved ones. I’ve seen my daughter grow into a strong young woman and start university.
“But special moments like these would not be possible without the dedication of scientists who are relentlessly striving towards new milestones month after month. They need our support.
“Thanks to Cancer Research UK’s involvement, I’ve been offered the drug exemestane, which is much gentler and has fewer side effects for me than others.”